"The city of Ladysmith is experiencing huge traffic volume in one of its operational main road," he said.

Mabaso said by 16:23 there were no injuries reported due to the flooding.

"The MEC is on her way to Ladysmith as a political head to assess the situation.

The disaster management team is in control of the situation."

KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC Willies Mchunu’s spokesperson Kwanele Ncalane said most roads in the province have been affected because of the floods.

"We have a delegation that is assessing the situation in the province."

"In northern KwaZulu-Natal in the areas of Nquthu and Nkandla a bridge was severely damaged and vehicles cannot use it," said Ncalane.

He said the team has been dispatched to compile a report on how the department can assist.

More rain expected

SA Weather Services forecaster Lucky Makhwedzha said there were 60% chances of showers in the province.

"On Wednesday and Thursday we expect cloudy conditions with 60% showers," he said.

More showers were expected on Friday, but these will be reduced to 30% in the early morning and no indications of flooding, Makhwedzha said.

Comments

mm3 - 2011-01-04 19:42

There are two main roads in the city. A CITY with 2 roads?

leenesh.singh - 2011-01-05 08:30

naromi@24.com, you are the idiot. mm3 is correct. Ladysmith is not a city, it's a town.

scorpio - 2011-01-05 08:31

@naromi@24.com You obviously don't get it..... What mm3 is referring to is that it should be a TOWN with 2 roads - not a CITY. New Years Resolution for Naromi - stop calling other people an idiot when Naromi is the bigger one.

Why continue to live in a floodplain? I experienced these very floods having lived there for 6 years...people very reluctant/slow to assist!

JamesN - 2011-01-05 08:10

okay so I lived in Ladysmith for a few years and it sure as sh1t is no city. a one horse town for sure

Mashwan - 2011-01-05 09:47

For justice to prevail, maybe we should define a Town and a City.
You know for others,it is the same diference...

pawsaw - 2011-01-05 13:04

Done Mashwan!

td8976 - 2011-01-05 10:31

Typical Seowth Effricans. Rather than discussing the floods they argue about whether Ladysmith is a town or city. You cant even do that intelligently or without insults! Maybe I should be grateful that FOR ONCE you lot haven't bought race into the argument!
What a bunch of rude wallys!

lakhan7 - 2011-01-05 10:51

lol

lakhan7 - 2011-01-05 11:03

Analysis of the situation in Ladysmith ( an emerginy City ) ...the condition here is stable. The dam that was built by engineers from India seems to be managing the excess water in good fashion. ...just a few low lying areas effected. the traffic officers here were finding it hard to deal with the situation ( maybe lack of experience? ) ...the effectiveness of the local council will be tested, when they re-build mud houses that where washed away by the heavy rains. The Ladysmith Lord Vishnu temple ( a Hindu temple , but all welcome) was flooded yesterday ...and thats my reason for not praying ;) .
I encourage the MEC to improve the lifes of my people, by creating better building matterials to those effected , building an airport and improving on higher education in the Historical town/city of Ladysmith. ( Sir Winston churchill , MK Gandi where all part of our Ladysmith history).
We coping would the situation as best as we can.

lakhan7 - 2011-01-05 11:07

Ladysmith Black Mambazo are also part of wonderful place. Maybe they could do a concert?

pawsaw - 2011-01-05 13:18

lakhan7. Tjatjarag or not I found your comment extremely pertinent to the discussion of flooding as well as your encouragement to the MEC of the area. Now what is needed is that the MEC's discourage the building of houses in lowlying areas so that when there are situation such as this water can drain into them and be used for cultivation etc thus providing work for emerging farmers. This is why we need engineers and forward thinkers if we are not to halt the growth of our populations and see all kinds of species die out. Roads need to take into account things like flooding and not be built in lowlying areas. The same is true of houses and factores the roofs of which can be used to direct water to the lowlying areas and in emergency situations following the closest valleys to another natural water basin. and so on to the sea. There are num,erous rivers which do not empty into the sea due to damming higher up and silting at the mouth of the rivers. Setting up natural places for water to drain to that lead to the sea is the most logical place to go with this excess water. Perhaps Africa as a whole should be looking at this as it is not only Southern Africa which has these extremes of flooding and drought. This IS something worth working together for. Nkandla if you have nothing constructive to contribute at least remain silent so we don't all know how dim you are.

MP3 - 2011-01-05 11:14

The current flooding of Ladysmith is occurring because of poor management of the relief flood damn built a few years back. I fear complacency by management of the disaster flood scheme has led to this.
I would very much like to know what measures were taken by the Ladysmith Council to manage the heavy rainfalls and catchment areas for flooding.
Perhaps a REAL journalist should go knock on their doors. As Ladysmith has not had a flood in years since the relief dam was built.
WHY NOW?

Nkandla - 2011-01-05 11:37

Ladysmith is my home town in case you don't know you fools

pawsaw - 2011-01-05 13:03

What makes a town a city to all you smart asses out there calling mm3 or naromi or whoever and idiot? When I was at school a city was a town which had a enough people to support a Cathedral Church. When we threw religion out of schols this fact was probably thrown out with it. Grahamstown is a city because it has a Cathedral so is Port Elizabeth. Perhaps Ladysmith does have churches but no Cathedrals?

Alex - 2011-12-26 07:56

pawshaw - You are correct. A city is a town with a cathedral - lived in Ladysmith for a while and as I recollect, plenty of churches but no cathedral.

Carolyn - 2011-01-05 14:08

there is Murchison Street, which is the main road in Ladysmith, and Poort rd which runs alonside the Klip river,, and these are not the first floods they have had, there have been many over the past years. The Mayor should wake up and read the past history of the town. Yes I used to live there.
I saw the floods, and I saw people loose their homes, and even drown. Maybe Mrs Dube could investigate this situation as well

Sarah - 2011-12-25 22:11

The 62mil rands that Zinzi Mandela has to pay for not securing that boxing match which was scheduled for Orlando Stadium, could have been used to repair Ladysmith and the people directly affected by the storm.

Gwen - 2011-12-26 08:06

Hush... Everytime I hear those words in private talks, people Hush immediately.
Did you hear them too?
Rumors say that just the rich people know all about it.
Just do a G00GLE search for "BlueGoldHunt" all one word and click the first site that comes up.

comurray - 2011-12-26 08:45

So what is new, when ever the weather turns bad in and around Ladysmith the same roads and business district get flooded. This is ongoing and has been for at least 50 years yet nobody has done anything about it. So stop crying. Rather move to higher ground.